Programme aims to address challenges faced by municipalities, paving the way for enhanced public services, economic development and community well-being 

Citizen Leader Lab, in partnership with Sphere Holdings, today announces the launch of the Leaders for Municipality programme, a 12-month leadership development programme aimed at capacitating and supporting municipal leaders across South Africa.   

The programme draws inspiration from the successful methodology of the respected Leaders for Education programme (formerly known as Partners for Possibility), which has positively impacted nearly 2,000 school principals over the past 13 years. By replicating this success in municipalities, the programme aims to address challenges faced by municipalities across the country. 

According to the last Auditor-General report released in October 2023, 229 municipalities out of a total of 257 were recorded as facing major challenges. This impedes the state’s ability to effectively deliver services.  

“Our leadership development and cross-sectoral collaboration model is transferable to other public sector spaces, and we are excited to be partnering with businesses and municipalities to do this work.” says Komala Pillay, Citizen Leader Lab’s CEO.  

The Leaders for Municipality programme aims to strengthen municipal leadership through a combination of workshop-based skills training, professional coaching and in-field leadership development and support. This will pave the way for enhanced public services, economic development, and community well-being.  

The Leaders for Municipality programme will launch two pilot groups in different municipalities during 2024, with each pilot group consisting of 10 municipal leaders and 10 business leaders. These groups will undergo a rigorous 12-month training period aimed at strengthening municipal leadership and promoting collaboration between the public and private sectors.   

The programme is set to roll out in 2025, following the successful completion of the pilot phase.  

Several organisations and entities have partnered with Citizen Leader Lab in this pilot phase of the project.  

“We are delighted to have worked with one of our long-standing partners, Sphere Holdings, to design and launch Leaders for Municipality.” says Pillay.  

Itumeleng Kgaboesele, Founder and CEO of Sphere Holdings says: “Having seen the impact of Leaders for Education first-hand, it is clear to me that business must also partner with municipal leaders. Faced with mounting service delivery challenges, this initiative is a hands-on endeavour to co-create a future where municipalities thrive.  As the business sector, stability is a key imperative, and Leaders for Municipality will play a role in shaping a future where municipalities are well-managed, resilient and responsive to the needs of citizens.’’ 

The pilot phase of the programme also sees Old Mutual coming on board as sponsor. “Our CEO, Mr Iain Williamson, earlier this year at The World Economic Forum, emphasized the urgent need to address our service delivery challenges in South Africa. This will not only put us in a better position to attract more investment into the country, but it will also ensure that every South African, has access to basic service and infrastructure needs. To this end, it is truly a pleasure for Old Mutual to come onboard as a sponsor. This initiative is aligned with our business objectives,” said Celiwe Ross, Public Affairs Director, Old Mutual. 

“The Western Cape province is a critical region for our business. Our first Old Mutual office was founded in Cape Town, back in 1845. We are one of the biggest employers in the region and the success of this pilot will determine if we scale our sponsorship to other municipalities,” said Ross.  

The City of Cape Town is the first pilot group, launching on 27 February, and Citizen Leader Lab and Sphere Holdings are currently in discussions with another municipality to secure the second pilot. 

“Ultimately, every municipality in the country should have access to the Leaders for Municipality programme. This will fundamentally impact service delivery in South Africa,” said Kgaboesele. 

About Citizen Leader Lab 

Established in 2008, Citizen Leader Lab is committed to nurturing resilient leaders in both the public and private sectors. Our mission is to drive positive change in communities and society at large, aligning with the goals of National Development Plan (NDP). We offer an array of leadership development programmes and workshops designed to empower individuals to become effective change agents in their communities. Facilitating cross-sectoral collaboration, we create opportunities for active citizenship and promote social cohesion. With over 13 years of experience in implementing leadership programmes, we continue to strengthen our presence in the education sector while extending our influence into other critical public sectors. www.citizenleaderlab.org 

About Sphere Holdings 

Founded in 2003, Sphere is a high performing investment holding company driven to create value for funders, shareholders and business partners. With a solid track record shaped over a two decades, we actively seek out investment partnerships with high quality privately owned businesses across a range of strategic sectors. 

Sphere has invested in some of South Africa’s leading businesses in that has invested in industrial services, software services and education. We believe in the the principles of broad based empowerment and approximately 10% of the shares in Sphere are held by charitable organisations. Over the years, more than five million worthy beneficiaries in nine provinces across South Africa have benefited from our track record of delivery. https://sphereholdings.co.za